Preroll ethics

Post re-edited 3/9

On a message board this morning was a pointer to this "news" video on TBO.com (TBO/Tampa Tribune) about HPV and research at the Moffitt Cancer Center. But a Moffitt Cancer Center ad also appears in the preroll and stays on the screen in a little box in the lower right.

http://www.tbo.com/video/xml/MGBNNOUBQYE.html

The person wondered whether ethics policies covering this existed for Web sites, saying that in print this kind of advertorial would not be mixed with the news.

But those wedding and auto and myriad other special sections are essentially that -- linking ads and thinly veiled advertorial content. And say what you want, use a different font, etc., I maintain people don't make much distinction.

As the old saying goes, we've established what we are; we're just negotiating the price.